Saturday, March 10, 2012

Une Beauté Lumineuse

There are days when I so miss the frequent immersion that I had in the French language while I was studying it in college...it is a beautiful language and I love to read it, write it, to try and speak a little of it, and to listen to it.  "A luminous beauty" is a lovely thought in English, but when that phrase is written in French, it takes on a new level of charming prettiness.  And yes, as the word "beauty" is involved in the name of this post, this post will involve--finally!--the review of Garnier's new BB Cream, along with a few other little things.  :)

I had heard about BB creams a while back, between the various style magazines and websites that I like to read, and the idea of this product intrigued me.  In case you're unfamiliar with this item, "BB" stands for "beauty balm" or even "blemish balm", and it is a popular product that has finally made its way to the states in recent days.  Many BB creams combine the powers of skincare and cosmetics into one convenient package as a moisturizer, sun-protectant, primer, acne-fighter, and foundation.  And that isn't even the full list of everything that some of these miracle products can do!  There are some BB creams that have even more extensive benefits for the skin--and while I appreciate all of the great things that separate skincare and cosmetic products can do for my complexion, I really liked the idea of an all-in-one product that really works.

Finding a BB cream that fit into my rather limited budget was the trick, though.  A handful of the skincare-and-cosmetics lines that I like have begun to offer their various versions of the product, but none of them carried prices that I could afford to pay.  And then, a nice surprise--Garnier stepped in!

(Photo source: http://www.garnierusa.com)

I found Garnier's BB cream at a local Target, after having searched for it at a few other local drugstores and grocery stores, and purchased the light-to-medium complexion formula.  I have veeeeeeery light skin that tends to be extremely dry and sensitive, especially during the winter.  It's difficult to find a product that will hydrate and protect my desert-like skin, while also not making it look as though I have a ton of makeup piled and glopped up on my face...makeup doesn't tend to sit well on dry skin.  (Sigh!)  Enter this "skin renew: miracle skin perfector" BB cream.

The name does not exaggerate.  This product will really, truly, honestly give your skin a look that is, as I mentioned earlier, "une beauté lumineuse".  

The Garnier BB cream feels light on the skin--almost as though it's water-based--but it gives an amazing amount of healthy-feeling, comfortable hydration.  Even though the pigment is light-to-medium, it doesn't look too dark at all on my pale skin, and it doesn't settle into my pores the way that some heavier cosmetic products have done.  It gives the skin a pretty, dewy glow that is still very natural-looking; the skin looks as though it is simply healthy, hydrated, smooth, and even.  And at the price of $11.99 at Target...this is a total winner of a product.  I highly recommend it.  

Now, aside from the BB cream review...I've worked on a few projects this week, most of which involved making dinner somehow.  One project didn't involve dinner at all, but was instead composed of an old Harney and Sons tea tin, some spray paint, some gravel and potting soil, and some seeds...that is a story for another post, however. 

On Tuesday evening, I put together a chicken dish with my own recipe, and then some unbelievably delicious creamy bacon cheese grits, using the recipe that you'll find on the link.  (The recipe and its maker are pure genius.)  Both dishes involve basic ingredients that can usually be found in just about any kitchen, and both dishes can be made in under an hour, from start to finish.  I will post the chicken recipe at a later time, too...for now, just you try that grits recipe.  Please.  You'll thank me later!  

On Wednesday afternoon, I finally took the plunge and tried my hand at making lavender lemonade.  And let me say this: lavender lemonade is easy to make, and it is definitely a crowd-pleaser.  That recipe will premier in my next post, which will be all about...big surprise here!...lavender.

Anyway--Mr. Darcy is home from work and errands now, so this is where I sign off today.  :)

À bientôt!

Cait

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